Vic health award to cancer researcher

Dr Wen Qiu has won the Victorian Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research 2011. The Premier Ted Baillieu presented Dr Qui with the $16,000 prize in recognition of her groundbreaking research into how breast and ovarian cancers spread.

Baillieu said Dr Qiu was an up-and-coming world expert in her field of cancer research and had won the award from a field of highly talented young Victorian health and medical researchers.

“As part of her PhD, Dr Qiu took an innovative approach and concentrated on the tissues surrounding the cancer cells and the role of chemical additions to the DNA chain.

“Dr Qiu made the important discovery that the tissue surrounding the cancer cells contributed greatly to cancer formation,” Baillieu said.

Dr Qiu conducted her research at the Victorian-based Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the University of Melbourne. The centre received the $30,000 Jack and Robert Smorgon Families Award for the role the centre plays at the forefront of cancer research.

“Victoria’s medical, research and education institutions offer tremendous opportunities and support for researchers to conduct vital health and medical projects,” Baillieu said.

CEO of the Jack and Robert Smorgon Families Foundation Andrew Blode said the foundation was delighted to support the significant contribution made by Victorian institutes in the field of health and medical research.

“This year we congratulate the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and recognise the contribution the centre has made to the medical community, and to those persons and families affected by cancer,” Blode said.

Three commendees were presented with $8000 each:

• Dr Amanda Rickard, a Monash University PhD graduate from the Prince Henry’s Institute, for her research into the mineralocorticoid receptor, which has provided valuable insights into heart failure.
• Dr Andrew Steer, a University of Melbourne PhD graduate from the Centre for International Child Health and Royal Children’s Hospital, showed a new vaccine under clinical trials in Australia holds great promise in the global fight against group A streptococcal disease.
• Dr Michelle Tate, a University of Melbourne PhD graduate from the Monash Institute of Medical Research, for her research which has provided a detailed understanding of the immune defences involved in the early recognition and destruction of influenza virus.

The Victorian Government and the Australian Society for Medical Research present the Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research each year during Medical Research Week.

The awards recognise achievement by Victoria’s early career health and medical researchers. For more information, visit www.business.vic.gov.au/premiersaward.